In a statement issued on May 23, 2006, the European Union itself demandedaction against those responsible for bombing three international charitiesoperating in Sri Lanka’s northeast. The EU's skepticism about the government'sversion , which blamed the LTTE for the bombing, was evident from its statement which said that the Sri Lankan government must demonstrate itscommitment to ending a "culture of impunity" by bringing to justice thoseresponsible for Sunday’s grenade attacks which wounded three people at threelocations. It added: "The EU welcomes the government's statement condemningthe attacks. But the EU is concerned about the lack of effective follow-upon past violent acts and the development of a culture of impunity that the governmentrecognized last week in its address to Parliament and pledged to fight."
The apparent unease in the government of India over the one-sided version beingdisseminated by the Sri Lankan authorities in their efforts to have the LTTEbanned by the EU was also reportedly evident at a press briefing on foreignpolicy by Shri Shyam Saran, our Foreign Secretary, at New Delhi on May 23,2006. It is learnt that during the press briefing he characterised the situation as "tit for tat violence" and did not agree with a correspondent of aChennai-based newspaper, who tried to project the situation as the outcome ofthe LTTE's unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Gen.Sarath Fonseka, the Commanderof the Sri Lankan Army.
It is understood that the following report, which was carried by The Hinduof Chennai on May 24, 2006, was based on the Foreign Secretary's briefingthough it does not refer to him: "India believes that if the current titfor tat violence between Colombo and the LTTE continues, it is a matter of timebefore an all-out war breaks out. Official sources on Tuesday also hoped thatthe Sri Lankan government would not greet with triumph a EU ban on the LTTE, butwould show flexibility, along with the Tigers, in agreeing to a second round ofpeace talks in Geneva. "
The report added: "India felt that it was still worthwhile for both sidesto make concessions to ensure a return to negotiations. New Delhi was speciallyconcerned about the plight of civilians, who invariably get entangled in aconflict situation. Pointing out that about some 2000 Sri Lankan Tamils hadalready landed in Tamil Nadu, sources revealed that several hundred more werewaiting for a chance to flee the violence that had gripped the islandnation."
Not a day passes without more Tamil refugees from the Eastern Province fleeingto India. When the LTTE took to arms against the Sri Lankan governmentpost-1983, there was a large exodus of Tamil refugees to foreign countries.Those from the Northern Province, economically better off and better educated,fled to the Western countries and Australia. Those from the Eastern Province,not economically well-off and inadequately educated, fled to Tamil Nadu, wherethey were put up in camps. Following an improvement in the ground situationafter the conclusion of the cease-fire agreement in February,2002, and theinitiation of conflict resolution measures by former President ChandrikaKumaratunga and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, the refugees fromthe Eastern Province started returning.
This process has been reversed after Mr Rajapakse took over as the Presidentand, since January,2006, there has been a fresh flow of refugees into Tamil Nadufrom the Eastern Province. Many of those, who have come, have accused theRajapakse government of following a policy of targeted killings of the Tamils ofthe Eastern Province.
The Hindu of May 24, 2006, has quoted some of the refugees as saying asfollows: "There is no guarantee of life in Trincomallee. The Sinhalese,with the help of the Sri Lankan Army and Navy, have started an onslaught againstthe Tamils. Several Tamil youngsters have been kidnapped by unknown elements.Even after many days not even a single kidnapped person returned home in oursurroundings. When they are torching shops run by the Tamils and shootinginnocent people in the name of controlling the Tigers, who can give us safety?........They (the Sinhalese) have plotted to wipe out all Tamils living inTrincomallee. There is no rule of law there. Most of the Tamil families havefled to either Jaffna or India from the surroundings of Trincomallee. Ifthe international community fails to check the harassment by the Sri LankanArmy, the Tamil community will not be found in the Trincomallee area."
The New Indian Express of May 26,2006, has quoted some of therefugees as saying as follows: " The Tamils are not allowed to move out oftheir homes even in daytime. The Sri Lankan Army and the Sinhalese werecontinuously attacking and maiming Tamils. It was only after the take-over ofthe Mahinda Rajapakse regime that attacks against the Tamils had been steppedup."
Well-informed sources say that while the LTTE has been responsible for thedeaths of a large number of combatants belonging to the Sri Lankan Army, Navyand Police since November last, most of the civilian deaths are attributable tothe policy of targeted killings of suspected Tamil supporters and sympathisersof the LTTE initiated by the Sri Lankan security forces through the intermediaryof the followers of "Col" Karuna, who deserted from the LTTE inMarch,2004, due to differences with Prabhakaran, the LTTE leader. Mrs. Chandrikaand Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe reportedly refused to authorise the policy ofusing Karuna for such targeted killings, but this policy is being implementedvigorously since Mr Rajapakse took over as the President, thereby giving rise toa suspicion that he might have authorised it.
The reported EU decision to ban the LTTE would be exploited by the government asthe international community's acceptance of its version of the killings whichhave been going on since November last and as ruling out any international condemnation of its counter-insurgency methods as followed since November. Anynon-condemnation by the EU of the new counter-insurgency methods of the governmentwould be seen by the Sri Lankan Tamil community as taking sides with theSinhalese.
The reported EU decision at this juncture would be unwise and ill-consideredpolitically because it could create difficulties in the working of thecease-fire monitoring process and drive even those Tamils, who might bedeveloping misgivings about the leadership of Prabhakaran, into closing theirranks and expressing solidarity with the LTTE. The Rajapakse government ishoping that the EU ban would isolate the LTTE and make it more amenable to acompromise political solution, not necessarily involving a federal formula. Itshopes may be belied and the EU ban, at this juncture when both parties areresponsible for the deterioration in the situation, may drive the LTTE to bemore recalcitrant, pushing further away the chances of a political solution.
The difficulties in the working of the ceasefire monitoring process would arisefrom the fact that while Norway is not in the EU, Sweden, Denmark and Finlandare. Would Sweden, Denmark and Finland join the other EU countries in imposingthe ban? If they do, would it not make their continued participation in themonitoring process untenable?
The LTTE is one of the most dreaded terrorist organisations of the world, whichwas responsible, inter alia, for the brutal assassination of RajivGandhi, our former Prime Minister. Purely on merits, a ban on it would bejustified, but the timing and the manner of the ban should not give animpression as if the EU is taking sides with the Sinhalese extremist elements.